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Reef Check chronicles: A comprehensive analysis of 19 Years of Maldives coral reef history and impacts response
No full textclimate change all around the world. Over an 19-year period, comprehensive coral reef monitoring was conducted
throughout the Maldivian central atolls using the Reef Check protocol. The study aims to explore the
combined impact of varying degrees of human pressures with climate change effects, and their implications for
reef recovery. By categorising reefs based on island management, inhabited, uninhabited, and resort, we
examined the benthic community composition and the fish and macro-invertebrate communities, revealing
significantly different environmental responses between oceanic and lagoon reefs. Reefs near inhabited and
resort islands, subject to higher human pressures, exhibited greater impacts during the 2016 bleaching event.
However, some oceanic reefs demonstrated notable post-bleaching recovery. Uninhabited islands, with lower
human impact, showed faster post-bleaching recovery. Recognising these distinctions at the reef management
level can inform policymakers in crafting targeted management and regulation for safeguarding natural environments,
particularly amidst climate change-induced threats
Memetic Optimization of Wastewater Pumping Systems for Energy Efficiency: AI Optimization in a Simulation-Based Framework for Sustainable Operations Management
No full textThis study investigates the integration of advanced optimization algorithms within energy-intensive infrastructures and industrial plants. In fact, the authors focus on the dynamic interplay between computational intelligence and operational efficiency in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this context, energy optimization is thought of as a hybrid process that emerges at the intersection of engineered systems, environmental dynamics, and operational constraints. Despite the known energy-intensive nature of WWTPs, where pumps and blowers consume over 60% of total power, current methods lack systematic, real-time adaptability under variable conditions. To address this gap, the study proposes a computational framework that combines hydraulic simulation, manufacturer-based performance mapping, and a Memetic Algorithm (MA) capable of real-time optimization. The methodology synthesizes dynamic flow allocation, auto-tuning mutation, and step-by-step improvement search into a cohesive simulation environment, applied to a representative parallel-pump system. The MA’s dual capacity to explore global configurations and refine local adjustments reflects both static and kinetic aspects of optimization: the former grounded in physical system constraints, the latter shaped by fluctuating operational demands. Experimental results across several stochastic scenarios demonstrate consistent power savings (12.13%) over conventional control strategies. By bridging simulation modeling with optimization under uncertainty, this study contributes to sustainable operations management, offering a replicable, data-driven tool for advancing energy efficiency in infrastructure systems
I Teatri anatomici senesi. I luoghi che la Scuola Medica ha utilizzato in oltre sei secoli per “istruire i giovani e fare in modo che acquistassero la più perfetta cognizione della struttura del corpo umano”
No full textComprehensive venous outflow is the optimal venous score in predicting functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients
No full textBackground: Venous outflow (VO) is a promising prognostic imaging biomarker in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients selected for endovascular treatment (EVT). However, the best score for properly assessing VO profiles on multi-phase CT-Angiography (mCTA) remains to be identified. Methods: A series of consecutive AIS patients undergoing EVT for large vessel occlusion within 24 h from symptom onset were investigated. The following scores were rated: cortical vein score difference in stroke (PRECISE, range 0–8), cortical vein opacification score (COVES, range 0–6), comprehensive venous outflow (CVO, range 0–8) and internal cerebral vein (ICV) asymmetry. Receiver operating characteristic curves and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the performance of the different VO scores for prediction of a good outcome (modified Rankin Scale 0–2 at 3 months). Results: Three hundred and thirty-six subjects (56.2% females, mean age 74.8) were included, of whom 145 (43.1%) had good outcomes. In multivariable logistic analysis, the CVO score (odds ratio = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.49–4.18, p =.001) was the only independent predictor of good functional outcomes. The AUC of the CVO score was.75 (95% CI =.70–.80), with an optimal cut-off of ≥4 (sensitivity 56%, specificity 69%). Patients with favourable CVO profiles had better pial arterial (70.7%, p <.001) and hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) tissue-related collaterals (HIR =.35, p =.005), higher rates of successful recanalization (95.7%, p <.001) and lower symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage occurrence (6%, p =.020) than those with unfavourable CVO profiles. Conclusion: The CVO score measured on mCTA had the best discriminative performance and was independently associated with functional outcome in AIS patients undergoing EVT within 24 h from onset
Mean field games incorporating carryover effects: optimizing advertising models
No full textWe consider a class of optimal control problems that arise in connection with optimal advertising under uncertainty. Two main features appear in the model: a delay in the control variable driving the state dynamics; a mean-field term both in the state dynamics and in the utility functional, taking into account for other agents. We interpret the model in a competitive environment, hence we set it in the framework of Mean Field Games. We rephrase the problem in an infinite dimensional setting, in order to obtain the associated Mean Field Game system. Finally, we specify the problem to a simple case, and solve it providing an explicit solution
Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections in internal medicine wards: A large Italian multicenter retrospective study
No full textIntroduction This large, multicenter, Italian retrospective study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with 30-day mortality in patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bloodstream infections (PA-BSI) admitted to internal medicine wards (IMW). To enhance clinical decision-making, we also developed and internally validated a bedside prognostic model to predict the 30-day mortality risk. Methods We conducted a retrospective, multicenter cohort study across 14 public hospitals in Italy, analyzing all adult patients admitted to IMW with PA-BSI between 2021 and 2022. Results Out of 285 eligible patients with PA-BSI, the median age was 73 years, and septic shock occurred in 13.3% of cases. Less than 5% of PA-BSI were caused by difficult-to-treat resistant P. aeruginosa (DTR-PA). Encouragingly, appropriate empiric therapy was administered in 69.8% of patients, yet the overall 30-day mortality remained 22.5%. Cox regression analysis identified age, and urinary catheter use as significant risk factors for mortality. Conversely, adequate source control and targeted therapy emerged as protective factors. Multivariate analysis confirmed septic shock at bloodstream infection onset (HR 6.96; 95% CI, 1.72–28.12) as a strong independent predictor of mortality, whereas effective source control (HR 0.152; 95% CI, 0.039–0.59) significantly improved survival odds. Using these insights, we developed a practical prognostic model capable of estimating the 30-day mortality risk, providing clinicians with a valuable predictive tool at the bedside. Conclusions PA-BSI in IMWs is characterized by a relatively low incidence of septic shock and rate of resistance, alongside high rates of appropriate empiric therapy. Despite these favorable factors, meropenem may represent a valuable therapeutic option for PA-BSI with severe presentations in this setting since mortality remains substantial (22.5%). Our findings underscore the critical importance of early source control and identify septic shock as a key predictor of mortality even in the setting of IMW. The proposed bedside nomogram model could empower clinicians to identify high-risk patients early, facilitating timely interventions and improving outcomes in this vulnerable population
Polygeneration Grid Including Atmospheric Water Generation, Renewable Sources and Storage Technologies: Modelling and Real-Time Management
No full textThe aim of this paper is the modelling of a smart polygeneration grid and the development of its Energy Management System (EMS) for real-time optimal operations, minimizing variable costs. The proposed grid includes two different demands: water and cooling energy. While water can be obtained from the aqueduct or from an Atmospheric Water Generator system (AWG), cooling energy can be produced from a devoted cooler or from the chilled air of the AWG. The integration with renewable sources in the form of photovoltaic panels is also proposed. Moreover, the grid includes a water tank and a thermal storage system to have additional management flexibility and to avoid money losses in case of extra-productions. While the optimized management is common in electrical energy smart grids, the application of EMS tools in such polygenerative grids including water generation is quite rare. Following the development and validation of component models, attention is focused on the EMS details and its application aspects. To assess the EMS performance, the results obtained with the application of this new tool have been compared with a simple traditional management, showing the obtained economic and environmental benefits
Arthropod diversity in Iran: subphylum Hexapoda Latreille, 1825, basal hexapod taxa.
No full textA comprehensive review of the literature and database records on the five
lineages of basal hexapods of Iran was conducted to summarise current knowledge of their
diversity and distribution within the country. A total of 379 species are currently known from
Iran, belonging to 140 genera and 27 families. Collembola are the most diverse (345 species,
119 genera, 20 families), followed by Zygentoma (21 species, 10 genera, 3 families) and
Archaeognatha (6 species, 5 genera, 1 family), whereas Protura (5 species, 4 genera, 2 families)
and Diplura (2 species, 1 genus, 1 family) remain clearly under-sampled. Collembola have
been recorded from many regions of Iran, especially the north, whereas for the other groups
few or no species are known from most provinces. Most species for which Iranian habitat data
are available occur only in forest environments, particularly the Hyrcanian forests. Fifty-one
Collembola species (≈14.8%) and 15 non-Collembola taxa (e.g., Protura, Archaeognatha and
Zygentoma) are known only from Iran and are likely endemic, indicating that the country is a
regional diversity hotspot in Western Asia. Studies on basal taxa, especially Collembola, have
increased the number of recorded species from 70 to 345 over the past 43 years. Nevertheless,
additional research in specific environments, particularly in eastern, central, western, and
southern Iran, is still needed. This quantitative overview reveals clear geographic and
taxonomic gaps that future surveys must address to refine biodiversity and conservation
priorities nationwide
